Masonry block walls are normally formed by laying courses of blocks one upon the other with mortar being positioned between the horizontal and vertical joints thereof. If the wall is to be reinforced, vertically disposed reinforcing rods are normally threaded downwardly through the voids in the block members. The conventional method of constructing masonry block walls is time-consuming and expensive.
Additionally, the technical knowledge and understanding of masonry has not been as extensive as for other building materials although masonry is one of the oldest building materials. The lag in technical knowledge became particularly evident with the development and increased interest in seismic resistant structures. In areas of probable earthquake activity or high winds, concrete masonry walls must be of the reinforced type. In multi-width construction, reinforcements are placed between the widths and grouting performed either periodically as the wall is erected or entirely after the wall has been erected. In single-width construction consisting of regular hollow concrete masonry units, the provision of internal vertical reinforcements pose some difficulty as the masonry units must be threaded downwardly over the rods unless open-end units are used. In some single-width construction, the hollow masonry blocks may be aligned to allow subsequent placement of vertical reinforcements and the performance of high-lift grouting. This, however, cannot be done with ease when the wall must be constructed within an existing frame system, and the use of special-shaped units becomes a necessity.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel reinforced masonry wall structure.
A further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced masonry wall structure which eliminates the need for mortar between the courses of blocks.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced masonry wall structure which is seismic resistant.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced masonry wall structure which eliminates the need for threading vertical reinforcement rods downwardly through the block members.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced masonry wall which eliminates the time-consuming and expensive practices of internal reinforcements and laying the masonry blocks in mortar, course by course.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a reinforced masonry wall having improved wind resistance.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.